Selector



1. H. wHEELocK.

SELECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I8, 1917. l 1,403,996. Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

J. H. wHE'ELoCK.

SELECTOR.

APPLICATION EILED JUNE i8, |917.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

9/ @raga f v,

J. H. WHEELOCK.

SELECTOR.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I8. IQI?.

Patented Jan. 17, 1922.

w, y., f my n afd 7 0 ,I f M fi -J 8 H/Il I i f f I @MMI I L UNITED STATE-s PATENT OFFICE.

.TOHN H. WHEELOCK, OF WORCESTER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO KLAXON COMPANY, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

SELECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Jan. 17, 1922:

Application filed June 18, 1917. Serial No. 175,427.

To all whom it may concer/n.:

Be it known that I, JOHN H. Wrrnnmcii, a citizen of the United States, residing at Worcester, in the county of VVorcestei1 and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Selector, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a selecting device for controlling either mechanism or electrical apparatus, and the principal objects thereof are to provide an exceedingly simple construction which will involve very little mechanism and that capable of being contained in small spaces` and to provide an arrangement of this type whereby only a single operating means .is required and is used in connection with one or a number of keys or key elements.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will appear hereinafter.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in .Which-v Fig. 1 is a front elevation of a device constructed in accordance with this invention with the front plate or cover removed;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig.v 3 is a central sectional view on the line 3-3 ofFig. 1 showing the parts in another position;

Fig. 3a is a detail fragmentary View on an enlarged scale of one of the plungers.

Fig. 4'is a sectional view on the line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a side view of a key;

Fig. 6 is a plan of a modification;

Fig. 7 is an end view of the same without the casing, lookingr in the direction of the arrow 7 in Fig. 6, but showing some parts in section; l

Fig. 8 is a Side view;

Fig. 9 is an end view with the casing in position; 4 Y

Fig. 10 is an enlarged end view of the keyhole with the key therein, and

Fig. 11 is an enlarged transverse sectional view of the key.

The invention is shown in the first five figures as mounted on a support comprising two parallel plates 10 mounted within a casing 11. motor 12 which is shown herein as of the spring motor type ordinarily used in clocks. This motor is provided with a gear 13 driving through gearing 14, a shaft 15 provided One of these plates carries a.

with the usual fan and also driving a gear 17 on a shaft 18. This shaft 18 is provided with a rotary member in the form of a disc 19 acting as a switch actuating member fixed to it and adapted, of course, to rotate with it, the shaft being supported by the two plates 10. This disc is hollow and provided 'with a plurality of cam plungers 20 having springs 21 for forcing them inwardly so that their inner ends project into a central opening which I will call a key-hole hereafter. These plungers are preferably radial and have heads 22 that can be projected beyond the circumference of the disc by pressure from inside the key-hole, but normally the springs hold them iiush with the cylindrical surface of the disc.

Inside the shaft is a slide 24 which has a pivot pin 25 by which an operating member 26 is pivoted to it. "This member has a square end and the end of the shaft 18 is also square so that in the position shown in Fig. 2 the end surface of this member 26 abuts against the square end of the shaft and holds the parts in the position shown in that figure. This member is provided with an L-shapedslot 27 for receiving a pin 28 on an arm 29 which is Xed to the shaft 3() carried'by a supporting member 31 on the rear plate 10. The other end of this shaft is provided with a gear segment 32 fixed to it and adapted to move up against a stop 33 mounted on this frame 31. This gear segment meshes with a gear 34 fixed to the shaft of the motor so that'either the motor can run the gear or the gear can wind up the motor.

A spring 37 will be noted connecting the frame 31 with the member 26 and this member is also connected with the rear support 10 by another spring 38.

Pivotally mounted on the front support 10 is a lever or contact maker 40 having one end enga-ging the cylindrical surface of the rotary disc member and adapted to be engaged by the projecting ends of the plungers and turned on its pivot. At the other end this lever is provided with a projecting end 41 which has a. contact maker 42 thereon adapted to engage a stationary contact 43 when this contact maker member is swung by the projecting heads. The two Contact members constitute part of au alarm circuit 44. the details of which are not shown herein, but which is adapted to be connected with a horn, bell or other alarm device or indicator for fire alarm purposes or to be used as a calling, display or' other signal or for any analogous purpose. v

The invention involves an additional element, namely a selector member or key 45. This key is provided with a longitudinal groove 46 for receiving a longitudinal inwardly extending rib 47 in the key-hole so that the key can be placed in the key-hole in one position only. This key also is provided with one or more projections 48 spaced apart in any desired way. It is to be under# stood that each key represents a number to be called and there.are as many keys as there are numbers. Whenever any key is inserted the number represented by that key is called. The key shown in the drawings represents the number 21 having two projections adapted to engage two adjacent plungers and a third projection spaced therefrom (and shown in dotted lines) to engage another plunger, preferably the fourth one.

' Preferably the inner ends of the plungers 22 are beveled at the front as shown in Fig. 3a, so that the projections 48 on the'key will readily effect the outward movement of the plungers with which they are brought into engagement. v i

The operation of the device is as follows g-Supposing the parts to be in normal position as shown in Fig. 2 the key is inserted in the key hole. This first has the effect of forcing out (in this case) the first,

second and fourth plungers so that their heads project beyond the circumference of the disc member as shown in Fig. 4. The

` key also engages the slide 24 inthe shaft and forces out the operating member 26 longitudinally. This carries with it the pin and arm ,29 because there is enough pressure from this member 26 on the pin to prevent the member being pulled over away from the pin. This results in turning the motor shaft and if it is a clock or spring motor,`winding it up. As soon as the key is fully into position, that is, in its deepest position, the pin 28 comes to its lowest posit'ion and the pushing force on the operating member ceases. This permits the spring 37 to pull the operating member 26 over if that is necessary, but as a matter of fact the pin descends in the L-shaped extension ofthe slot 27- into the main part of the slot and the spring simply holds it in that relative position as shown in Fig. 3. The parts.`

having arrived at this position the motor starts. The motor, in the form shown in the drawings consisting of'a spring, is ready to start back whenever the pressure is released. Startin the right and abng the horizontal part of the slide. By the tlme the gear segment has moved throughout its stroke and engaged the positive stop 33 the pin 28 wll'have back it turns the pin toI time and cause the contact to be closed orl opened, as the case may be, in certain sequence. For example, if the key above described is used it will cause it to ring twice, then after an interval ring a third time, sounding the number 21. The disk 19 when set for operation thus constitutes a switch operating cam, the projecting heads 22 of the plungers being operating lobes.

Although I have illustrated L nd described this form of the invention first I prefer the modification shown on the third sheet. In this case the parts marked 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 21, a2, 4o, 41,512, 4.3, 44. although formed differently from those shown on the other sheets correspond with them in a general way. Inthis case, however, there is shown a'ratchet wheel 50 slidably keyed on the motor shaft 51 and also a handle 52 fixed on this shaft which is adapted to come up against a stop 53. This handle is turned upwardly away from the stop to wind up the motor spring in this case and permit the ratchet wheel 50 to ratchet over a similar ratchet 54 on the gear 13 which is loose on the, shaft 51. The ratchet wheel 50 has a spring 55 for forcing it forward. In this way the handle can be turned one or more spaces and then/themotor will run until the handle comes back to its position against the stop. This, however, feature of this form of the invention.

In this'case/also a change is made in that a single key 56 is employed having projections 57 upon it. I have shown five projections, four in one group and the fifth one spaced from that group. This can be placed in the key-hole in any one of a plurality of positions andthe projections will engage the ends of the pins 20 so as to project the.de sired ones beyond the hubs 58 in which they are shown as being mounted.

In the position shown in Fig. 7 the first four are projected and the sixth one. In other words, all the projections 57 are in use. This gives the signal 14. If the key were placedaround one space to the left the signal 13 would be given. In the form shown the key is capable of' producing the numbers l, 2, 3, 4, 14, 13 and 12. All positions between these would give either no result or a repetition of some of these. This key is provided with a head 59 and also a pointer 60 to show the combination. This is not an essential A vform is illustrated mainly to show that the invention does not depend Aupon the particular operating mechanism.

.It is to be noted in both forms that the plungers are all located substantially. on one /side of the disk 19 and that the projections on the key are also located all on one side of the key. This is done in order that by placing the key in different positions different combinations can be made as will be obvious. I do not wish to be limited by this language to a construction in which either the plungers or the projections are all located in one semi-circle for they may go more than half way around, and in fact I have so shown it in Fig. 7 but if they went uniformly all the way around the key would provide the same combination wherever inserted.

Although I have illustrated anddescribed only two forms of the invention, I am aware of the fact that many modiications can be made therein by any person skilled in the art Without departing from the scope ot the invention as expressed in the claims. Therefore I do not wish to be limited to al1 the details of construction herein shown and described, but what I do claim is- 1. In a device of the character. described, the combination of a movable member having a key-hole therein, a series of plungers projecting into the key-hole and adapted to be moved by the insertion ot a key in the key-hole to project their outer ends from the sunface of said member, means whereby upon the insertion of the key said member will be moved, al contacter in position to be moved at predetermined relative intervals by the p-roject-ing ends of said plungers during the motion of said member, and an electric circuit having a Vcontact therein connected with said contacter so as to be moved thereby and operated. v

2. Ina device of the character described, the combination of a rot-ary disk having an axial key-hole therein, a series of radial plungers carried by said disk and projecting into the key-hole, whereby when a key is inserted provided with projections these pro- 'jections will force cert-ain of the plunge-rs outwardly to cause their ends to project beyond the surface of the disk, means whereby upon the insertion of the key said disk will be rotated, a contactor in position to be moved by the projecting end of said plungers during the rotation of said disk, and an electric circuit having a contact therein connected with the contacto to be operated. thereby.

3, In a machine of the character described, tlh'e combination of a disc having a series of plungers, said disc having a key-hole, a motor connected with said disc for rotating it, a contact maker in osition to be operated by the projecting en s of said plungers as the disc is rotated, a slide adapted tobe moved by the insertion of a key in said keyhole, and means operated by the slide for causing the motor to turn' the disc.

4. In a machine of the character, described, the combination of a disc having a series of plungers, said disc. having a keyhole, a motor connected with said disc for rotating it, a contactvmaker in position to be operated by the projecting ends of said plungers as the disc is rotated, a slide adapted to be moved by the insertion of a. key in said key-hole, an operating member pivoted to said slide having an L-shaped slot, a shaft having a gear segment, and an arm fixed thereto, means connected with the gear segment for turning the motor, and a pin on said arm engaging in said slot.

In a machine of the character described, the combination of a. disc having a series of plungers, said discl having a keyhole, a motor connected with said disc for rot-ating it, a. contact maker in position to be operated by the projecting ends of said plungers as the disc is rotated, a slide adapted to be moved by the insertion of a key in said key-hole, an operating member p-ivoted to the slide and movable therewith longitudinally and. having 'a slot having a portion parallel with the direction of motion of the slide, and another portion at an angle thereto, a pin in the latter po-rtion of said slot, whereby uipon pushing` the slide the pinwill be moved with it, said pin being mounted to turn about an axis at one side ot the operating member, whereby it will moveout of said latter portion of the slot into the parallel portion, yielding means for holding the operating member in such position that the pin remains in the parallel portion of the slot, and means connected with the pin for operating' the motor.

6. In a. device of the character described, the combination of a. disk having an axial key hole therein, a series of radial plungers carried by said disk and projecting into the key hole, whereby when a'. key is inserted provided with projections these projections will force certain of the plungers outwardly to cause their ends to project beyond the surface of the disk, a contactor, an electric circuit having a contact therein connected with the contacter to be'operated thereby, and means rendered effective by said key for rot-ating said contactor and said disk relative to ea -h other, to cause said projecting plungers4 to operate said contactor.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aiiiXed my signature.

JOHN H. wHEELocK. 

